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                            January 11, 201372% Expect to Pay More for Groceries A Year From Now
Americans continue to see their grocery bills go up and don’t expect that to change over the next year. Most also lack confidence that the Federal Reserve Board can keep inflation under control.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 86% of American Adults say they are paying more for groceries than they were a year ago, and 72% expect that to go up even more over the next year. Only three percent (3%) think they will pay less in a year’s time. Twenty-one percent (21%) expect to be spending about the same amount. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 8-9, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 11, 2013Voters Have Mixed Feelings About More Money for Schools
Just 10% of Likely Voters correctly recognize that the United States spends on average about $9,000 per pupil each year in elementary and high schools. But voters are narrowly divided when asked if spending more on schools will improve student performance.
Thirty-four percent (34%) think America spends less than $9,000 annually per pupil, while 16% say it spends more, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A whopping 40% won’t even hazard a guess. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 9-10, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 11, 201375% Think Debt Ceiling Deal Is Likely
The U.S. government will reach its current $16.4 trillion debt ceiling some time next month, but despite the current political posturing most voters think a deal to raise that ceiling is likely.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that the debt ceiling will be raised before the government begins to default on its debts. Just 13% feel that's unlikely. This includes 42% who think the debt ceiling is Very Likely to be raised and four percent (4%) who say it's Not At All Likely. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
As noted in Scott Rasmussen's book, The People's Money, the actual debt of the federal government is much higher than $16 trillion. However, the formal borrowing of $16.4 trillion is the only portion of the debt requiring Congressional action to increase.
The Rasmussen Challenge is coming back next week.  Stay Tuned!
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 
The national survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 9-10, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 
January 11, 2013Can Hillary Pace Herself? By Froma Harrop
The football helmet that State Department staffers presented Hillary Clinton upon her return to the office was cute, but only sort of. Same went for the "Clinton" football jersey bearing the number 112. That's how many countries she's visited since becoming secretary of state.
Clinton had been away sick for a month. She had suffered a stomach virus, which dehydrated her, which made her woozy, which led to a fall, which caused a concussion, which landed her in a hospital with a blood clot in her head.
January 11, 2013Republican Establishment Declares War on GOP Voters By Scott Rasmussen
Official Washington hailed the deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff as a significant bipartisan accomplishment. However, voters around the country viewed the deal in very partisan terms: Seven out of 10 Democrats approved of it, while seven out of 10 Republicans disapproved.
Just a few days after reaching that agreement, an inside-the-Beltway publication reported another area of bipartisan agreement. Politico explained that while Washington Democrats have always viewed GOP voters as a problem, Washington Republicans "in many a post-election soul-searching session" have come to agree. More precisely, the article said the party's Election 2012 failures have "brought forth one principal conclusion from establishment Republicans: They have a primary problem."

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                            January 10, 201352% Are Confident in Stability of U.S. Banking Industry
Confidence in the banking industry has rebounded slightly and is back to levels seen last fall. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of American Adults are now at least somewhat confident in the stability of the U.S. banking industry, including nine percent (9%) who are Very Confident. Forty-five percent (45%) still lack that confidence, with eight percent (8%) who are Not At All Confident.

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                            January 10, 201375% Don’t Know Much About Likely Treasury Secretary Jack Lew
Like many presidents embarking on a second term, President Obama is shuffling people in and out of his Cabinet, but most of these high-level decision makers continue to labor in varying degrees of anonymity.
Consider the president’s chief of staff, Jack Lew, now the president’s nominee to be the next secretary of Treasury. Right now, he’s viewed favorably by 10% of Likely U.S. Voters, and that includes only one percent (1%) with a Very Favorable opinion. Fourteen percent (14%) share an unfavorable view of Lew, with six percent (6%) Very Unfavorable. But 75% don’t know enough about him to voice any kind of opinion.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
January 10, 2013Voters Still Think Economy Fairer to Lower Income Americans Than to Middle Class
The recent “fiscal cliff” deal raised taxes on wealthier Americans, but voter attitudes about the fairness of the U.S. economy have changed little.
January 10, 2013'Most Antagonistic' Toward Israel? That Would Be Ronald Reagan's Defense Secretary By Joe Conason
When Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned on national television over the weekend that Chuck Hagel "would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel in our nation's history," either his memory served him very poorly -- or he was simply lying to smear his former Senate colleague. For whatever Hagel's perspective on Mideast policy may be, it would be absurd to compare him with the Secretary of Defense whose hardline hostility toward Israel became notorious during the Reagan administration.
January 10, 2013Obama Lurches Left With Pick of Hagel for Defense By Michael Barone
Barack Obama, we have been told by his admirers on the left and right, is an instinctive centrist, a moderate always ready to negotiate compromises, a politician deeply interested in the nuances of public policy.    

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                            January 10, 201344% Are Fiscally Conservative
As Congress and the president move past the ‘fiscal cliff’ deal and into the debate over raising the national debt ceiling, a plurality of voters says they are fiscally conservative, but nearly as many consider themselves moderate in this area.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of Likely Voters say they are politically conservative on fiscal issues such as taxes and government spending. Forty percent (40%) describe themselves as fiscally moderate, while just 13% say they are fiscally liberal. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 3-4, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 9, 201333% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction
Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely U.S. Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, January 6.
The latest finding shows no change from the previous week but is down 10 points from 43% the week prior to President Obama’s reelection, the highest level measured in over five years of weekly tracking.  Still, only 24% said the country was heading in the right direction this time last year.

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                            January 9, 201374% Think Americans Have Constitutional Right To Own A Gun
While most Americans are clear they want tougher rules for gun ownership, they also feel as strongly as ever that the average citizen has a constitutional right to own a gun. Only a plurality, however, feels that laws governing gun ownership should be a federal responsibility.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 74% of American Adults continue to believe the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of an average citizen to own a gun. Only 17% disagree, while nine percent (9%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 6-7, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 9, 201347% For, 38% Against Hagel Nomination When Told He Has Called for Defense Cuts
Most voters are aware that President Obama has nominated former Senator Charles “Chuck” Hagel to be secretary of defense, but a sizable number know little or nothing about him. A plurality would like their senators to vote for Hagel’s confirmation, with opinions both for and against his confirmation even higher when voters are told Hagel has called for reducing the military’s budget.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters recognize that Obama has nominated Hagel to replace retiring Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Seven percent (7%) think Hagel has been nominated to be secretary of State, and two percent (2%) say Hagel is the nominee for secretary of Commerce. Thirty-three percent (33%) are not sure what position he’s been nominated for. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 7-8, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 9, 2013A Man's Home Is His Subsidy By John Stossel
The Obama administration now proposes to spend millions more on handouts, despite ample evidence of their perverse effects.
Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, says, "The single most important thing HUD does is provide rental assistance to America's most vulnerable families -- and the Obama administration is proposing bold steps to meet their needs." They always propose "bold steps."

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                            January 9, 201343% Think Auto Bailouts Good for America, 41% Disagree
Confidence in the auto bailouts is down to its lowest level in several months.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 43% of Likely U.S. Voters now say the bailouts of the auto industry were good for the United States, down nine points from 52% in December.  Nearly as many (41%) say the bailouts were bad for the country. That's up 15 points from last month and the highest finding since August. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 8, 2013Democrats Now Trusted More on Economy
Following the “fiscal cliff” deal, voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy for the first time in just over three-and-a-half years. Now Democrats are trusted more on 10 out of 15 key issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports. Republicans lead on two, and the parties are tied on three others.
A new national telephone survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Democrats more when it comes to the economy, while 41% trust Republicans more. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. A month ago, Republicans still had a slight 44% to 42% edge. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
Two national surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters each were conducted on January 3-4 & 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 8, 2013Americans Strongly Support Tougher Requirements for Gun Owners
Americans nationwide show overwhelming support for requiring strict background checks, waiting periods and safety courses for those wishing to obtain a gun.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 86% of American Adults believe a strict background check should be required for anyone looking to buy a gun. Ten percent (10%) don’t favor this requirement. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Currently, an FBI background check is only required for those seeking to buy a gun from a commercial gun dealer who has a federal license.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 6-7, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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                            January 8, 201336% Say Government Did Good Job Responding to Hurricane Sandy
Voters are much more critical now of the federal government’s response to the East Coast’s Hurricane Sandy but are generally satisfied with the amount of federal money going to the victims of the storm. Now, though, a plurality thinks state governments should bear most of the cleanup costs from a bad weather event.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 36% of Likely U.S. Voters now rate the way the federal government has responded to the areas affected by Sandy as good or excellent. That’s down 19 points from 55% in mid-November just after the storm.
Twenty-three percent (23%) now consider the government’s response to Sandy as poor, up from 15% two months ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 5-6, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
January 8, 2013The Hagel Defense By Froma Harrop
A decorated Vietnam vet, Chuck Hagel combines experience in war with skepticism over turning to military solutions where diplomacy might work. Add to those qualifications a tendency to speak his mind (after using it), and the former Republican senator from Nebraska seems uniquely placed to lead the Department of Defense in 2013.